Sophomore Lauren Dreves impressed with a career-best 19 kills in a remarkable four-set battle. Auburn (11-3, 2-1) went head-to-head with Florida (7-5, 2-1) Friday night inside Exactech Arena but fell in a hard-fought match, 3-1 (25-18, 17-25, 25-18, 26-24).
“Incredibly proud of our team tonight,” said Head Coach Brent Crouch. “Playing on the road is always tough, especially here. I thought after that first set, we composed ourselves well and made some key adjustments. Florida is a really good team. That’s going to be a theme as we continue SEC play, but we were right there with them tonight in a hostile environment. This match is for sure going to benefit us moving forward. We get another chance on Sunday to prove that.”
The first set was neck and neck, tied at 7-7, before Florida went on a 5-0 streak to pull away from the Tigers.
Bel Zimmerman helped keep Auburn in the fight, recording three kills on eight attacks. Despite keeping the score close, the Tigers couldn’t overcome the Gators, who took the first set 25-18.
Auburn responded well in set two, starting on a 5-0 run before bolstering their lead with another 3-0 surge to go ahead 11-4.
Kate Mansfield fueled Auburn’s surge with three straight block assists, helping the Tigers extend their lead to 18-8. She closed the second set with five blocks. Mansfield has now recorded at least five blocks in five straight matches, 10 different times in 2025.
Bella Humphrey and Baileigh Carlsen both helped Auburn keep the upper hand with service aces of their own.
Lauren Dreves and Liz Markovska set the tone with five kills each. Markovska delivered back-to-back kills late before hitting the set-winner to lock in a 25-17 win.
Dreves was just getting warmed up. By the end of the night, the Vancouver, Washington native would finish with a career-high 19 kills on an amazing .385 hitting percentage. She has now hit double digits in 12 of the 13 matches this season, and has reached at least 15 in seven different matches.
The third set began with a hard-fought battle before Florida went on a 4-0 streak to get a 17-11 lead.
Auburn refused to back down but couldn’t close the gap, as the Gators took the set 25-18.
The fourth frame remained highly competitive. Dreves pushed out seven of her 19 kills in the frame, leading the team as the set climbed into extra points. Even with four kills from Markovska and three from Mansfield, Florida powered through to claim the set and match, 27-25.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
